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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition |  | 1 |
| Tonbridge - Rustic | | 2 |
| Elusive - Oregon Trail |  | 1 |
| Quantock - QPA | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Old Oaky | | 3 |
| Oakham - Maelstrom Cask Aged | | 2 |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | | 2 |
| Ossett - Butterley | | 3 |
| Kent - The Quiet American | | 2 |
| Park - Winter XPA | | 2 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%) | | 2 |
| Mighty Oak - Saint | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word |  | 2 |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Verdant - Penpol | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Mystic | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - How High The Moon | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Zig Zag | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sureshot - Small Man's Wetsuit | Not Tried | 0 |
| Park - Saw Pit | Not Tried | 0 |
| Verdant - Lightbulb | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Perun | Not Tried | 0 |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Cobnut | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
28 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Unbelievably busy in every crevice of this two-roomed micro-pub for last 30 minutes of serving. Maybe a second day of almost constant sunshine has brought everyone out of hibernation after all? I spotted a seat when I came in amongst regulars and got that after ordering a first pint and which like a pint the night before ceased immediately upon asking for it! Just three remaining beers out of normally 6 to 7 on. The governor was having a night off and left it to a sole barmaid to manage the evening's proceedings by all accounts! I cannot recall so few beers on since almost this time last year. There was though the porter from Siren Craft with the hot chili in it and now on 7 nights from last Saturday's first appearance. It shows that I was not the only one to find it rather too hot for the palette!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Blonde Ambition | 4.20 | | Fresh on and immediately asked the barmaid, how many roughly still left? She assured me it would last its premier night on and with just two other casks on. Came with loads of head and lacing to die for, thankfully! A very hoppy and fresh first hit with a slight bite to it! Not in the least sweet with a moreishly bitter mouthfeel and a lovely dry hoppiness lingering. I was blessed with that joy! |
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | Ran out on first getting here and ordering it on just its second night on! |
| Oakham - Perun | 5.50 | Not Tried | Fresh on today is worth noting. |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | Not Tried | Now its seventh night on for this not evidently popular porter with a few helpings of chipotle flavourings! It is apparently used for seasoning, the chili additive that is, in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cooking, and comprising smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper! |
27 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Very busy footfall with the usual regulars and the not so frequent in for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | | Fresh on this evening and a great head and lacing. A lightly hoppy and bitter first hit. This continued into the on-going mouthfeel, and well into the aftertaste of this lightly coloured pale bitter from Maidstone. |
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | | Got one of the last out of the barrel and second time round I ordered this Kent-brewed pale from Birling, north of West Malling, it ran out. A great shame as was holding its head and lacing well. As for the taste, it was suitably dry and hoppy with a touch of sweetness from being citrusy with a hint of grapefruit flavouring. It was very moreish and only lasted two nights on by all accounts. |
| Mighty Oak - Saint | 3.70 | | Good head and lacing on this Maldon-based golden ale and which was new on since my Tuesday visit. A first hit of real hoppiness. A slightly citrusy mouthfeel lingering. |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Saw Pit | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Verdant - Lightbulb | 4.50 | Not Tried |
27 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Fine Light Ale | 3.70 | | Good basic bitter |
| Kent - The Quiet American | 4.20 | | Good despite being one of the last out of the cask |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | | Poured quite flat, only redeeming factor was to pick up the chipotle warmth in the flavouring |
| Park - Saw Pit | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Verdant - Lightbulb | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Saint | 3.70 | Not Tried |
25 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a number of the regulars in and the more occasional as well.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Fresh on this evening was this bitter from the East Peckham-based brewery, north-east of Tonbridge. A very frothy head with good lacing down the side of the glass to follow. A dry and moreish mouthfeel with a bitterness lingering. Almost stuck to it apart from one other recommended by a fellow customer. |
| Oakham - Maelstrom Cask Aged | 5.00 | | Second night on for this Peterborough cask-aged IPA. A hoppy first hit followed by a dry hoppy mouthfeel. It had a slight kick to it and no doubt from its riot of citrus and tropical fruit flavours. A half sufficed. |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Saw Pit | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Sureshot - Small Man's Wetsuit | 3.90 | Not Tried |
25 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge - Rustic | 4.00 | | Drank rather without noticing |
| Oakham - Maelstrom Cask Aged | 5.00 | | The tasting notes "flavour-bomb" was not achieved |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Saw Pit | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Sureshot - Small Man's Wetsuit | 3.90 | Not Tried |
23 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving with a few regulars in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ossett - Butterley | 3.80 | | Second day on for this Yorkshire bitter and the head and lacing absent on its first day has emerged from its slumber and was fully evident. A very bitter and malty first hit. A bitter bite in the mouthfeel and a sweetness from the honey-infused hops. There was a maltiness lingering and like garlic can apparently cause, this was trying to make my toes open and shut with a click! |
| Mighty Oak - Old Oaky | 5.20 | | Its third night on for this Maldon winter ale and some head and lacing evident. A very dry and sweetish mouthfeel with the odd fruitiness. A dry hoppiness lingering. |
| Park - Winter XPA | 4.10 | | Second day on also. Some head and lacing on this Kingston extra pale ale. Less of a kick with its fruitiness apparent in the mouthfeel from its mandarin-infused dry hops. |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Sureshot - Small Man's Wetsuit | 3.90 | Not Tried |
23 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ossett - Butterley | 3.80 | | Basic sharp bittered ale |
| Elusive - Oregon Trail | 5.80 | | Well balanced and strong flavoured |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Sureshot - Small Man's Wetsuit | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Old Oaky | 5.20 | Not Tried | |
| Park - Winter XPA | 4.10 | Not Tried |
22 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 45 minutes of serving with many a Saturday regular in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - Old Oaky | 5.20 | | Second night on and some head and lacing to start off with on this Maldon winter ale. A malty sweetness in the mouthfeel with a dryness lingering. |
| Park - Winter XPA | 4.10 | | Good head and lacing on this Kingston extra pale ale fresh on today. A medicinal kick to it from its citrus flavourings and a fruitiness lingering from its dry hops being partly infused with mandarin. |
| Siren Craft - Mum's The Word | 5.50 | | No head and lacing came as an omen. A very spicy first hit. It was overly peppery and was like being on fire in the mouthfeel. A fellow real ale drinker was brave enough to drink the rest of the half. I will forever be wary of Siren Craft Brew from Berkshire moving forward. The governor had tried it the night before and did warn me that it could taste like a "Grim Reaper" curry that I had some years earlier described to him as so hot I could manage but a few spoonfuls of it! A fellow customer at the time pointed out from the packaging I brought in for the "Grim Reaper" that surely I knew it was going to be too hot from the number of hot chilli symbols he managed to count on it! Should certainly have hot chilli symbols on this porter with cherry and chipotle in it, and the latter is a smoked hot chilli pepper used in Mexican cooking! |
| Ossett - Butterley | 3.80 | | Fresh on today was this Yorkshire bitter. Minimal head and lacing and which did not last. A lightly bitter first hit. A slightly hoppy mouthfeel lingering. |
| Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Sureshot - Small Man's Wetsuit | 3.90 | Not Tried |
21 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Very quiet footfall for a Friday for last 30 minutes of serving with just 3 of the Friday regulars in and 4 of the usual regulars in and one other occasional visitor.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantock - QPA | 4.00 | | Some head and lacing at least but did not last long on the first pint of this APA from Taunton. The second pint seemed to keep its head and lacing for longer. It had a hoppy mouthfeel with a dry citrusy fruitiness lingering. |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%) | 4.20 | | Only did a half as very sweet the night before. Good head and lacing. A very bitter and toffee-infused first hit. Those toffee notes were definitely having a party in my mouthfeel with a maltiness lingering. |
| Mighty Oak - Old Oaky | 5.20 | | First night on and good head, as in creamy, and lacing on this Essex winter ale from Maldon. A sweet and malty first hit followed by further in the mouthfeel. A sweet aftertaste from the hoppiness and a dryness lingered. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | Its 8th night on, on Friday 21st February. |
| Castle Rock - How High The Moon | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Mystic | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Zig Zag | 3.40 | Not Tried |
20 Feb 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with many a Thursday regular in and for last 30 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%) | 4.20 | | Fresh on literally when I requested it as the Kent Cobnut had just moved on and was now a deceased ruby ale. This ruby bitter coincidentally came with good head and lacing and following on from the Cobnut's on Tuesday when I sampled it. This one was like drinking a liquid toffee apple and my blood sugars are still up with the gods of real ale! In its favour, and flavour, was that it was also very bitter to the bottom of the glass! It was aided by its toffee malts and fruity hops in this Thursday premier serving. A very dry moreish aftertaste lingered on. |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cobnut | 4.10 | Not Tried | Went off immediately on arriving and requesting it and following on from its first appearance on Monday 17th February and sampling on 18th. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | 7 days on this Thursday, 20th February. |
| Quantock - QPA | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Verdant - Penpol | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Mystic | 4.50 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 14 |
| 730 |
| 1943 |
| 613 |
 | 58 |
The pub is found in East Greenwich, Greater London, SE10 0RJ.
Micropub in Woolwich Road in a former street corner lingerie and hosiery business premises and which opened on 13th September 2017. Comprises a front room with bar counter and with real ales and ciders served on gravity dispense from a temperature controlled cellar room behind the bar, and a rear room down one step. Each day a pre-prepared paper ale menu sheet, with tasting notes, is provided to every table. Bare-board flooring throughout and all seating at wall mounted high settles and hand made wooden high tables. CAMRA card holders' discount on pints and halves of real ale and cider. Card payments accepted. SPBW London Pub of the Year 2019. Local CAMRA branch 2019, 2022 and 2024 Pub of the Year and its Cider Pub of the Year too in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. CAMRA Greenwich District Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 1543 times, seen 1909 different beers and tried 1127 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ